Invent your own charity
 

OK guys, if you could create your own charity, what would it be for?

Remember to take into account all that's out there (ie no more Make a Wish foundations).

I've been toying with this for a year and would really like to see what ideas are out there. I figure if any of you really have a good idea and would like to make something of this, I would like to be one of your earliest contributors. If you're not interested in anything other than throwing ideas out there, that's great too!

-Rudey

I think that I would create a charity for college students who get really sick and either need help paying medical bills, whether they have insurance or not, or if a college student needs insurance, help them find it or pay part of the premium.

I got a horrible blood disease my junior year resulting in a lot of medical care and also resulted in once my parents plan dropped me as a dependent, not being able to get other health insurance. It's still a mess, so if I could, I would help other students out there who may be going through something similar.

College students and recent grads are the hardest to get medical insurance.:rolleyes:

I have so many ideas but high up on my list is a foundation to increase the recruitment and retention of Black males in Higher Education.

OK, but that's like me saying I want to end world hungry. How? What do you want to do, or do differently, that another charity that does the same can't?

-Rudey

I would like to start the "Help the Tippiechick" foundation;)

Really, I would probably go for something geared toward helping rehabilitate abused, sick, or homeless animals instead of them ending up being euthanized. The spaying and neutering of animals would be encouraged...

I know there are probably better ways of helping the world, but this is my personal cause...

Excellent idea!!

After years of working in geriatrics, I can think of several. One would be a type of Make A Wish for Senior Citizens - most people have no idea how many people reach 75-80 years old, and have so many regrets that they gave so much of their lives to work that they never had the time for travel, their children, grandchildren, etc. And trust me, they often cry about it.

Or the better DNA databank of convicted criminals, so that the truly innocent people who are sitting on death row are better able to be exonerated.

The aephi alum needs to burn her mortgage foundation ;)

Seriously, I would put together something to enhance the resources and facilities of no-kill animal shelters and to encourage adoption of adult animals. I hate the thought of dogs, cats, etc. being put down simply because no one adopted them within a few days of their arrival. :( The problem is that no-kill shelters can fill up pretty quickly if the animals aren't adopted, and most people want a puppy or kitten, not a full-grown dog or cat. So the fund would be designed to expand shelter facilities, provide food, water, and medical attention, and spay or neuter the animals, as well as encouraging people who want to adopt to consider adopting an adult animal.

In this part of Canada, there are many kids of immigrant families who don't know English when they start school (there are some schools, both urban and suburban, where 75%+ students don't come from an English speaking home). Because they were born in an English speaking community, they don't always qualify for ESL (English as a Second Language) classes. I'd like to start a charity/fund/program to help these kids become fluent quickly so they can understand what the teacher is saying, and so that they don't have to isolate themselves from the class.

Rudes, what about a foundation that donates money to schools that can't afford to buy supplies, books, etc.? Help the children!!

I personally don't know of a charity that focuses specifically on the retention or recruitment of Black males in Higher Education.

Some ideas include...

Provide scholarships to ease financial issues
-also a book fund so that no student is left without books for a class

College Tours which would include HBCUs and TWIs

Provide racial sensitivity training for high school counselors
-often times HS counselors will discourage Black men from attending college unless they have athletic abilities

Establish a mentoring program that begins freshman year of high school through college graduation
- this mentoring program would include workshops that discuss everything from health issues to writing admissions essays. And Black males would be paired up with professional Black men and other community members.

I think a charity focused on supplementing underfunded after-school programs would be a worthwhile cause, especially those focused on reaching:

Those kids who are accelerated learners are getting missed because the teachers are focused on disciplining the class.

Those kids who need help over a stumbling block (such as a subject in math) which result in the kd getting more and more behind until they give up.

Those kids who have a little mischief in them, they need a place to be active AND safe.

An alternative to latchkey kids - working parents need help from the time school is over until they get home from work to have a safe place for their kids to go.

And mentors need to give them statistics showing how few people make it in music, professional sports, and starting their own business. I know sooo many young black guys who fall into the trap in believing that they have more chance in "making it big" than making money by getting decent jobs.

The company I work for does this. While they don't have their own foundation. The company asks for donations of paper, pens, pencils, etc,etc which they in turn donate to The Daily Bread Food Bank who then hands them out to children who can't afford school supplies.

I had thought about a charity for soldiers but I couldn't figure what to make. It's just what I was caring about at one point, and still do, just like some people do about animals.

About kids and mentoring and college tours, I know of one organization at least stsrted by a university of pennsylvania grad who is pretty old now and in finance where he does that and guarantees kids their college money if they go.

I figured since I can't come up with an idea for a specific charity, maybe I can help create a venture fund for charities.

-Rudey

My bf and I are actually in the process of starting a charitable foundation. We have to hammer out the details, but I will let you know when it's official which hopefully will be in about two months. This foundation is in the same vein as what some of you have described. :)

I would create foundations that help pay for day care for lower income women who want to work but can't afford $200-400 a week for day care.

I've also said that if I won a big lotto jackpot, I'd set up a grant to re-open a sorely needed adolescent psychiatry unit that closed a few years ago.

Dee

Off the subject, but

$200-$400 per WEEK for daycare?

Holy $hit. We pay $120 and think it's really high here!

Around here is $90/wk/child....adds up with multiple spawnlings.

My friend pays $1,100 per month per child for daycare.

I want to have a farm and adopt abused horses or horses that can no longer be ridden because a lot of people "put them down" because an obese human can't sit on their back..........

Through the summer, I am paying $50/day for my two school age kids = $250/week. That's in a private home. I priced out other centers (including the one offered by our school district) and they were all $60-70/day for two kids. I'm talking an 8 year old and a 10 year old.. no diapers, can eat by themselves, are basically good kids, etc. My co-worker with an infant and a 2 year old is paying $37/day for the toddler and $42/day for the infant = $395/week. Minimum wage in Michigan is $5.15/hr. which = $206/week. It's downright ridiculous.

That's why I'd make a charity to help underpaid moms afford their day care!

Dee

1) A charity to increase women's particiation in ESM subjects.
2) Private music lessons for children. Music can be such a barrier breaker but private lessons are expensive.
3) A foundation to help kids move out of the home for the first year of college/university.

If I ever won the gazillion lotto, I'd start a charity called "The Overworked and Underpaid Foundation". Most people are a paycheck away from being homeless. What stinks is when you're in this situation you aren't elligible for government assistance because you supposedly make too much. (I forget what the maxiumum amount is to be eligible)

Most entry level jobs don't pay a living wage. This means to be able to pay for the basic necessities and save for the future. People should be able to catch up on their sleep, spend time with their family, or go to show once in a while and not have to go to payday loans to live.

Where I am from there are a lot of colonias! Colonias are underdeveloped housing and most are in the out skirts of town.

I would make a charity specifically for them to provide home maintenance, food and clothing. By home maintenance I mean maintaining utilities such as a toilet and shower, because most of the time those are the first things that don't work or don't have at all.